Hardheaded
by Gagegirl06
Summary: Paramedic John Gage once again finds himself in the familiar Rampart General Hospital!


CHAPTER 1

A half-worn piece of rusty-red metal pulled into the parking lot of station 51. As the brakes were applied to stop in a parking space, it ended in a puff of smoke, in the exact location of where paramedic John Gage would be parking his Land Rover. Johnny was the only one not in the station yet, and the rest of the crew stood at the kitchen door with wonder.

"Hey Roy, 's just me or did Johnny get a new car? And by new I don't mean new … just different?" asked Chet

"Well it would look that way….."

Roy thought for a moment to himself the same question that was on the minds of all the men. And they all faced different scenarios, and pictured stories in their heads, as they noticed Johnny limp to the side doors.

Johnny smiled as he opened the door and greeted his fellow co-workers.

"Morning guys… how are ya?"

He didn't stop to say anything else, just kept walking to the locker room to change into his work clothes. And he didn't notice, but as he walked, the entire station followed. When he reached his locker and opened it, he saw all of the faces staring at him.

"What?.." asked Johnny

"Well aren't you gonna give us a story junior? …. I mean I don't think you would have traded in your car for that piece of junk out there…. And why are you limping?" asked Roy.

"Oh… yea , that…. Well umm……(he whispered under his breath…) had an accident."

"What was that John?" asked Captain Stanley

"I said I had an accident!"

"Well what happened Junior?" Roy persisted.

"I went to see my cousins this weekend a couple hours away, I came back a little too late, and I fell asleep at the wheel." He looked down at his hands ashamed.

"That's alright partner…. Were you hurt at all? I mean are you alright?" asked a concerned older Paramedic.

"Yeah I'm fine, just totaled my cars all…"

Everyone in the room gave a wince to the sight of Johnny's little car smashed against a tree.

Now that all had gotten an explanation, everyone headed back to the kitchen for breakfast and a morning talk. Roy stayed back in the locker room while John continued to dress.

"So if you didn't get hurt… then what's up with your leg?" asked Roy

"Aww, nothing… just a little bruise." Replied Johnny trying to ignore Roy and get dressed.

"Did you even go to the hospital to get it looked at John?"

"What for? I'm a medic, I can tell if something's wrong!"

"Yeah, I'm a medic too, and I say something's wrong…. Junior I know you've been down on money this month and can't afford hospital bills or to miss work, but if you're hurt then that's serious… Joanne and I could help pay you're rent for a while if you needed some time off!"

"Thanks for the concern partner, but no thanks, I'll take my chances that it's a bruise and I'm in top shape."

With that John ended the conversation and walked out of the locker room to get something to eat. Not a minute into his coffee and eggs, the klaxons rang out.

"Squad 51, Engine 51, bull riding accident on Bakers Farm 1022 Lee Road, ambulance has been dispatched to your location."

"Station 51, 10-4, kmg 365" Stanley replied to dispatch and handed the paper to Roy in the squad to lead the way.

CHAPTER 2

About twenty minutes later they pulled up to the Baker farm ranch where there was a crowd of people over near the riding pen. Johnny and Roy could immediately see a body on the ground, and didn't hesitate to jump out and grab the equipment. The engine pulled in behind them, and everyone stepped off, and rushed over to the scene.

"Excuse me, Excuse me! … coming through people" Roy boasted as he cleared the way through the crowd for his partner and the rest of station 51.

The man laying on the ground was still conscious, but it was apparent that he was in a lot of pain. Roy bent down at the mans head and began taking vitals, as Johnny opened up the bio-phone and was ready to call into Rampart.

"Sir can you tell me what's wrong?" Roy asked

"I…. I think…my leg.. it's broken" the man replied between moments of pain.

"How'd you break your leg sir?" Roy continued

"That stupid animal over there!"

Roy looked up to see a rather large bull huffing and trudging at the dirt beneath its hooves in the opposite corner of their fenced in location. Johnny looked up too, and froze still.

"Cap… Cap .. we needa get this guy outa here!" John said in a calm, but rash, voice.

"What's the matter John?" but before Johnny had time to answer, Hank looked up and saw the beast " Holy Hell! What is that!" Stanley asked

"A bull…." Johnny replied "An angry, confused, upset bull…."

"Do you think you can get up and walk with our help?" Roy asked leaning down toward their patient.

"Yeah, I think I can do that, just get me outa here!"

Chet and Marco climbed over the fence to where John and Roy were and picked the man up from off the ground. Roy and John grabbed the equipment, and with their eyes faced to the bull, they backed away towards the fence. Captain Stanley and Mike Stoker grabbed the medics equipment as they passed it over the fence for them.

John and Roy were just beginning to climb the wooden boards, when everyone screamed "JUMP!" and the bull ran full force at the fence. Roy threw himself to the ground on the other side and John had just managed to get his leg over, when the bull charged into the fence and sent him flying to the ground on the other side.

Roy and Marco ran over to him on the ground.

"You okay?" they both asked

"Yea, .. I'm fine" John replied laying sprawled out on his back, "Just ugh… it umm.. knocked the wind outa me ya know… so I think I'll just sit here a minute and catch my breath." John said with a quirky little smile.

"Sure thing partner, you let me know if you need anything." Roy added as he and Marco smiled at each other and John and walked away.

Johnny silently held in the pain though. His leg hurt a lot worse than he let anyone else know. And this little fall off the fence didn't help matters much. He had to cover up though and be tough, because he couldn't afford an injury right now and he needed the work.

When Roy and the rest of the crew loaded the patient into the ambulance, John took the opportunity to get up off the ground.

His eyes rolled back in his head as he pushed himself up. After he was standing he waited a minute before putting pressure on his leg. When he finally took his first step he almost fell over. And though he didn't know… Roy had been watching the whole time, and rushed to his partners side.

"You look like you could use a hand Partner!" Roy said with a smile on his face. As he steadied Johnny against his own side and helped him walk over to the squad.

The engine had already left and headed back to the station since there assistance wasn't needed. So Roy let John take the squad in, but told him they were going to talk once they got to Rampart.

CHAPTER 3

The orderly's rolled in 51's patient and Roy went to the squad to get Johnny to come inside.

To his surprise, John hopped out of the squad with a smile on his face and strolled over to Roy just fine.

"Well you look a little better.." Roy said with kind of a smirk and a question in his eyes.

"Sure am partner!" said John "I told you it was just a bruise, and that bull just bumped it a little… that's all… but I'm just fine!"

"I still want Brackett to check you out." Roy said with a serious attitude in his voice.

"What for? I'm not hurt… let Brackett help the sick people."

"Well you're at least coming inside with me, Dix has got our new supplies that we need to pick up and I need you to help me carry it."

John looked at Roy with an eyebrow raised, he was suspicious, but new that it was true that they did need some supplies.

They entered through the ambulances double door way and walked down the hall to the nurses station. Dixie McCall was standing at the desk filling out paper work. And she looked up to see her two favorite paramedics stroll in.

"Ahh…. John… Roy.. What brings you boys here?" The bright head-nurse asked

"We just brought in a patient with a broken leg…and umm Dix….you… you don't think that maybe Brackett would have time to check John here out do ya? He's possibly got an injury of his own." Roy threw in

"I do not!" Johnny yelled in defense

"Boy's ! lets not raise voices here…. Why do you say John needs to be looked at Roy?"

Johnny opened his mouth to talk, but Dixie covered it with the palm of her hand.

"John totaled his car this weekend, and I think he might have broken his leg in the accident, He never even let anyone check him out that night. And what makes it worse is that he took a hard fall on it today, and he's been in a lot of pain, you can see it in his face. Even though he's too hard headed to admit it. I just think he needs a visit to the hospital here to make sure nothing's broken."

"I see… and John here must be trying to be macho and pretend it'll go away."

Johnny gave Dixie 'the eye' and turned and put his back to the desk so she couldn't look at him.

"Well here comes doctor Brackett John, why don't you ask him to take a look at it?"

"Take a look at what?" Asked Brackett as he handed some papers over to Dixie.

"Roy here is concerned that John may have broken his leg…" Dixie explained.

"eww… that doesn't sound good. Why don't you help John into exam 2 Roy and I'll be with you in a minute" Brackett instructed.

"I don't want it looked at!" John said firmly.

"My aren't we grumpy today John… and just why not?" Brackett asked

"Cause it aint broke! That's why!"

"If it's enough to make Roy here concerned, then I say its worth a look at…. Don't you think so Dix?" Brackett added

"Sure do… and John… whether you like it or not you're going in that room… so don't make me call your Captain and make it an order…"

"Alright! Fine! You can look at it, but you can't take any x-rays….. I'm not gonna be paying extra money for no reason!" John said.

"Okay have it your way, I'll be there in just a minute.." and Brackett walked off down the hall into exam room 8.

Roy and Dixie each grabbed one of John's arms to help him to the room, he struggled out of their grip though and stormed off into the room in front of him. Dix and Roy just looked at each other and shrugged shoulders.

They both followed in after John and watched as a quick wince came across his face when he jumped onto the exam table.

"Mmmhmm…. I saw that John Gage… you can't fool me, and you won't be able to fool Brackett either!" Dixie stated.

John just smirked and sat and waited for Brackett to come in and get things over with.

After a five minute exam on John's right leg Brackett opened his mouth to speak.

"I don't like it John. And I wish you would let us x-ray it. You could have a break there in your femur you know…"

"But I can get around just fine!" John defended himself.

"Alright John, it's your choice… I can't force you to do anything, but you may just be making the wrong decision."

John shrugged his shoulders and walked over to the door to leave. Brackett watched as John tried to avoid the limp, but it was still noticeable.

CHAPTER 4

The bay doors opened up as Roy backed the squad into it. Johnny and Him hadn't spoken the whole ride back. And when the squad was stopped, John just got out, shut the door, and headed to the bunk-room.

Hank Stanley watched the tension between his two medics, and walked over to talk to Roy as he got out of the squad.

"Hey Roy… is something up between you guys?"

"Ahh… John's hard head, that's about all."

"Hmm .. what's new then?" Hank said with a smile

"Was he alright after that fall this morning?" the Captain added.

"I dunno, that's the problem Cap. I think Johnny might have broken his leg in the accident that he had this weekend, and just doesn't want to admit it, I mean I got Brackett to check it out, but John wouldn't let him do anything with it."

"Well what did Brackett have to say?"

"He didn't like it, thinks the same as me."

"Well maybe you couldn't do anything about it Roy, but I can order him to get those x-rays, and I'm gonna do it right now."

But just as he was reaching the bed that Johnny was sprawled out upon, the klaxons rang out loud in the station.

"Engine 51, squad 51, engine 12, squad 10, brush truck 7, structure fire, 1098 Hill Manor, cross street William lane. Time out 10:50"

Captain Stanley picked up the mic "Station 51 kmg 365" he bumped into John on his way to the engine

"John I want to talk to you about getting x-rays after we get back from this call!" Yelled Hank over the engines roar… "And you're gonna get em' ya hear?" ordered Hank.

"I hear ya!" John said ignoring his captain and climbing into the squad.

The lights and sirens of both vehicles screeched out into the street and they pulled off to their destination.

John stared at Roy behind the drivers wheel as they made their turns and slowly approached their call.

"You just had to tell Cap didn't cha Roy?…. I mean why is it your business to baby-sit me hugh?….. I'm a grown man.. I can take care of myself!"

"I'm not so sure about that sometimes." Roy added as they pulled the squad to a stopping point in front of the blazing building.

"What's that supposed to mean?" said John as they climbed out.

"Whatever you want it to Junior… Whatever you want it to."

CHAPTER 5

Hank Stanley was already yelling orders into the handy-talkie, and had Marco, Chet, and Stoker pulling lines from the truck. Roy and John got their gear out of the squad's side compartments, and began dressing to go inside.

A man that was the manager of the warehouse on fire was giving all the details to Captain Stanley as Roy and John approached.

"Well this is what we have guys….." Said Stanley "The manager here says everyone got out except for one of the shipping guys…. Here's a layout of the building" said Stanley pointing at the paper in his hands "… and here's where the man is… second level inside. So be careful… Roy.. you and John take Chet in there with you with a line and once you have this guy get outa there before the place goes, there's a lot of gas leaks and chemicals in there! Very unstable"

John and Roy acknowledged their Captain, grabbed Chet by the shoulder and made their way into the building.

The smoke inside was so thick that they could barely see through their masks. Each of them tripped and stumbled on small debris strewn out over the floor. The three men found their way to the metal stairs that led to the second floor, and began their climb up into the immense heat surge.

Roy purposely let John go in front of him, just in case John's "good leg" decided to go bad on him.

Once to the top, they went to the room where the manager had suspected his guy to be, but found no one. So Chet dropped his line at the top of the stairs, and the three of them split up.

Chet went straight, John to the right, and Roy off to the left.

Five minutes later Roy shouted down the hall that he found the guy, but as soon as his words ended, a tank above them on the third floor of the brick warehouse exploded and sent fire and debris in every direction below. Causing each man to be sealed off from each other.

Roy had his patient and saw a nearby window. So he took off his helmet and broke the glass out, waving a hand to the men below that he needed help. Chet had done the exact same thing with a window in his own room. And within a matter of minutes, both sets were down on the ground.

"Hey Chet, you alright?" Roy screamed across the parking lot.

"Yeah, just some scratches…..HEY ROY! Where's John?"

Both men stopped and looked at each other.

CHAPTER 6

Meanwhile back inside of the building, John lay propped up against the wall in the room he had been searching. The blast from the explosion had knocked him off his feet and into a nearby desk. And no matter how much John didn't want to admit it, his leg was broken for sure now. He had a fracture to his right femur, and he could feel the bone sticking out when he reached inside his turn-out gear. Not to mention the blood that came out on his hand.

John's oxygen tank began to beep; it was running so low that the mask itself was hard to breathe in. So he took off the mask and just covered his mouth with his shirt. He could feel the fire closing in fast. It was so hot that he felt like taking all of his gear off to escape from the heat. And soon his eyes began to roll back into his head, and the rest of his body slumped down to the floor.

CHAPTER 7

The rest of station 51 down on the ground had gotten up a ladder and were breaking each of the windows and looking in to find John. Mike Stoker flung his body into the last window on the right hand side of the building, and saw a body laying on the floor.

"I GOT HIM!" screamed Mike to the rest below.

Roy was over helping 10 put the man from earlier in the ambulance, when he heard Stoker's yell. He immediately ran to the ladder where the rest of 51 was standing and screamed up to Stoker.

"DON'T MOVE HIM!…… HE MIGHT HAVE A BROKEN LEG!"

But it was too late, he could already see Chet and Stoker passing him out of the window and down the ladder. Chet was screaming, but Roy couldn't understand until he got closer……. "HE ISN'T BREATHING ROY!"

The older paramedic ran and grabbed the defribulator, and made it back just as Chet lay the limp body on the ground.

"We got up there and his mask was off…" added Stoker out of breath.

Roy grabbed a bag-valve-mask and pumped two full squeezes into John's lungs. He bent over to look, and listen, and felt John's carotid for a pulse. There was one there, but it was weak and almost unnoticeable. So he hooked the mask up to his O2 tank, and handed it over to Chet to keep pumping every 15 seconds.

Hank Stanley opened up the bio phone and got Rampart on the horn, while Roy did a rapid trauma assessment of John.

He had cut away his turnout gear, and was examining the amount blood lost. Johnny's right femur was sticking out partially through the skin, and that was where the majority of blood was coming from.

Roy knew that femur fractures were bad, and if too much blood was lost, it could be fatal. He picked up the bio-phone from out of Captain Stanley's hands and began to relay his patient information to Dr. Kelly Brackett who was waiting impatiently on the other end.

"Rampart, this is squad 51 how do you read?"

"Loud and clear Roy, go ahead!"

"Rampart, we have paramedic John Gage, age 26, he has a definite compound fracture to his right femur with considerable amount of blood loss, and has a cut on his head, what I believe to have resulted in a concussion, and a good amount of smoke inhalation. Patient was not breathing when we brought him out, and is still having difficulty breathing. He has some minor burns around his neck and face, where he was exposed to a high heat index without a mask on. I currently have him hooked up to bag-valve mask with 15 liters of O2 running. And he is totally unconscious and unresponsive to any stimuli."

"Roy, I want you to get a set of vitals and tell me."

"Already done. B/P is 106/90, pulse 92 and weak, respirations are 8 and shallow, his pupils are sluggish, but reactive, and skin is cool and clammy."

"Alright Roy, be advised patient is going into shock, take necessary preparations and deal with that. It sounds also like his throat may be swelling shut due to burns on the outside and possibly some inside his throat. Roy I want you to insert a tube for him so that we can keep him breathing just in case he decides to swell shut. I want an IV running with ringers lactate, and hook him up to the monitor and send me lead two when you're en route to the hospital. Control bleeding as best you can and continue with the O2. Pack him up and get him here ASAP and continue to relay vitals to me every five minutes."

"10-4 Rampart, Inserting breathing tube, IV with ringers lactate, lead two, and new vitals every five."

With that Roy closed up the bio-phone, and he and Brice from company 10, packaged John up and were on their way to the hospital.

CHAPTER 8

The ambulance backed in to the familiar double-door entrance, and both vehicle and building doors flung open.

Orderly's rushed to help bring the gurney out of the back and Roy held up John's IV as they pushed him in down the hall to exam room 2.

Head-nurse Dixie McCall was already in the room make the necessary preparations. And Dr. Brackett followed in close behind the paramedics and orderly's entering the room.

John was breathing on his own now, and his heartbeat was back to normal, but he had lost a considerable amount of blood and was still unconscious and unresponsive to anything.

The x-ray technicians were already in the room and set up to take the pictures. Within five minutes they had them developed and Drs. Brackett and Morton were examining them.

The break was an obvious one, but Kel was curious to see the extent of the damage done. Though by the looks of it John wouldn't be disabled in any way. It would however be a long road of recovery.

Dr. Early poked his head in the door and told Brackett that the surgery room was prepped and ready. So with that they rolled John's bed out into the hallway and towards the elevator to go in.

Brackett turned back to Roy before the doors shut…

"Roy, just keep close to the nurses station and I'll be back with information when I can. Don't worry pal, I'll keep you updated." He said with a smile

"Alright. Thanks Doc!"

Roy walked back over to the nurses station to sit and wait for John to come out of surgery.

CHAPTER 9

About an hour later, after the fire was under control, the rest of station 51 rolled into Rampart and over by Roy.

"How's he doing?" Stanley asked.

"I don't know yet Cap. He was stable when he got here, and Brackett doesn't think he'll have permanent nerve damage, but they took him up to surgery…." Before Roy could finish talking Dr. Brackett strolled in to where the group was.

"Hank… Roy…"Brackett nodded to both men. " Well… John made it through the surgery with success. We controlled the bleeding and set his bone back in place. And as far as we know, no nerve damage was done. We do have him hooked up to a couple pints of blood however because he lost a good amount, and our only concern now is him waking up. It wasn't an easy task to make a man with a severe concussion go to sleep. And we'll just have to leave that one up to God. And we looked at his throat, there really was no swelling so we removed the tube and just have him hooked to an O2 mask."

"So when can we see him?" Roy asked

"Well, if he does wake up from the anesthesia, then it'll be in about a half an hour, and you can see him then. If not then you can just wait to see him in his room. And you can ask Dix where that's gonna be. Well boys, I have other patients to see, If you need anything else just ask and you know where to find me."

Dr. Brackett left the firefighters and went off down the hall. Captain Stanley turned to talk to his older paramedic.

"Well Roy, we're still on duty so we can't wait around here, if you want though I'll give Chief McConieke a call and have someone pick up the rest of your shift for you.."

"Yeah Cap, that would be great."

"Alright buddy, then I'll see you later, and call us whenever you get an update on John okay?"

"Sure thing Cap, Sure thing."

CHAPTER 10

Johnny's eye lids fluttered before him. It was dark in the room and he felt cool sheets beneath him. It was apparent that he was no longer trapped in the fiery dungeon that he had been in earlier.

It was a little difficult for him to open his eyes completely, but he managed to draw them back and reveal his eyes. He looked around his room and smiled to himself. He knew he was in Rampart once again.

His eyes dropped to the bed before him and he saw his leg covered in white with a temporary cast from surgery. He lifted his fingers to feel a few stitches on his head, and winced at the pain. He remember the events earlier, and remembered hitting it on a desk. John just continued to smile at himself. 'O well..' he thought 'Just a few more scars to add to the list.'

He heard a faint sound of someone breathing next to him and he turned to see his faithful partner out of his work clothes and fast asleep.

John was just about to say something to arouse Roy from his slumber when the door opened and a familiar, Dr. Brackett walked in.

"Hey John, good morning! …. Glad to see you finally come around! How do ya feel?"

"Fine I guess. My leg hurts a little, but I'm all right. Roy there looks like he's had a rough day!"

"Rough couple a days is more like it. You've been out for at least two days now John."

"No way! .. an Roy's been with me the whole time? Man what a pal!"

Roy's eyes opened at the sound of the two men's conversation.

"John!" his said with surprise "Glad to see you come around man, you gave us somewhat of a scare."

"Yeah, you two are nice sight for sore eyes too. Man I thought I'd had it when that explosion went off in the building. But I guess I shoulda realized I had the best station working to get me out!" John smiled at Roy

"Well John…" Brackett began "Once again you've managed to be our leading Code 1 here at Rampart."

They all smiled and had a light chuckle at the comment.

"And he'll probably keep that record too… Cause he's so hard headed!"

THE END


End file.
